Friday Five: New videos from Polica, Sleep Study, more

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The Minnesota music scene has apparently missed the memo that January is supposed to be a slow month for concerts and new releases. With so many new videos, tracks, and show announcements coming out on a weekly basis, we thought it’d be a good idea to take a step back every Friday afternoon and round up some of the things you might have missed.

Here are five cool notes from the local music world this week:

1. Poliça debut new video with the help of Jay-Z

How did Jay-Z get his hands on the new Poliça video before everyone else, and how did he end up debuting it in on his site Life+Times? We may never know. But what we can say for certain is that Poliça’s new video for “Lay Your Cards Out,” directed by MPLS.TV cohort and last year’s Rock the Garden filmographer Chris Hadland, is a stunningly simple and beautiful accompaniment to this rising band’s sultry robo-R&B sound.

2. Reviler blog celebrates two-year anniversary

It’s our opinion that the more blogs there are covering Minnesota’s diverse scene, the better, and Reviler.org has done an especially good job of delving into the underground rock scene in the Twin Cities and turning up some undiscovered gems. A few of those oft-overlooked acts will perform at the Turf Club tonight for the site’s second anniversary party, including headliners Food Pyramid, Is/Is, Fire in the Northern Firs, and Andrew Broder (who you may know from Fog and the Cloak Ox). Get the details here.

3. Sleep Study release first track off forthcoming debut

Sleep Study is the new vehicle for gifted local songwriter and storyteller Ryan Paul (formery Ryan Paul and the Ardent), and if ’60s throwback pop song “Flower Girl” is any indication they’ll be a band to watch in 2012.

4. The Local Current Vol. 2 compilation is out this month

Tune into the Local Show this Sunday night from 6-8 p.m. for a full reveal of the tracklist for the new all-Minnesota compilation, which features tracks from recent in-studio performances. The disc will be available at the Current’s 7th birthday parties on January 27 and 28 and at the Electric Fetus starting Tuesday, January 31. Without giving too much away, you can watch a promo video that hints on the acts that will be featured below.

The list was based on ticket sales at major venues across the globe, making it even more impressive that we are home to three in Minnesota. Unsurprisingly, the landmark First Avenue landed in the top 10. See the full list of ranking venues here.